Stranger Like Me
by RosalindHawkins
Summary: Post-canon: Amane and Marik have become good friends since both of their violent yamis have left, but when Amane flies to Egypt to visit him for a week, sparks fly and they may become something more. Fluffy Amane Bakura x Marik Ishtar. Tragedyshipping. Please review! [AU where Ryou died instead of Amane, leaving his sister to be the host of the Thief King.]
1. A Friendly Visit

Normal felt so strange after everything that had happened in Egypt, but it also relieved Amane quite a bit to know that she was her own person again, that she would no longer be possessed at random and without warning by the malevolent spirit of an ancient criminal. The thief King was gone, and she could breathe again.

As she tried to get a handle on her life, she got to know Marik better, even if only through phone calls, letters, emails, and video chat. He'd had a sadistic yami as well, but now he was gone. As much as Amane admired and liked Yugi as a friend, he couldn't understand what it was like to have a yami who sought to suppress your spirit every chance he got. That was one thing that Marik and Amane had in common, and it was nice to have someone who understood. They'd also both lacked a mother for most of their lives, and Amane's own father was entirely absent from her life, just like Marik's, though for different reasons.

Amane's own father had spent the majority of Amane's life in Egypt and similar archaeological sites in the Mesopotamian and Mediterranean areas, and Amane was saving up to visit Marik in his home. Personally, she was curious to see more of the homeland that Marik loved so much, curious to see what made it so wonderful that her father much preferred it to his own daughter.

Was it a long-distance relationship? Yugi and Téa seemed to think so, and while Amane could admit to herself that she had a hard crush on her best friend, she wasn't certain if he thought of her in that way. Well, she'd find out when she got to Egypt, and even if he didn't like her back, he was still her best friend.

"I think you should call your father and let him know that you'll be in Cairo," Marik said during their nightly phone call. They were talking earlier in the evening tonight, though, because she had to get to bed early for her morning flight. She was still packing for her trip, trying to organize her small suitcase in the most efficient way possibly.

"I-I don't want to," Amane said. "I don't even know for sure if the cell number I have for him still works. And even if he did care that I was going to be in Egypt, there's no guarantee that he's there right now, or that he's even able, let alone willing, to come see me. And what would I say to him? It's been years since I've seen him or spoken to him."

"You won't know unless you try," Marik insisted gently. "What's the worst that could happen: things don't work out, and they go back to the way things have always been. Not ideal, but nothing's different, nothing's lost. You don't have anything to lose, and everything to gain. Why are you so afraid of him?"

"I-I don't know. I don't know a lot of great fathers in my friend circle, or at all really. Joey just moved out of his abusive father's apartment to live with Yugi, because the situation got so bad that he had to take days off of school to work or heal. Tristan and Yugi never knew their fathers because they walked out on them when they were so young. Duke's father pushed him too hard too young, imposing his own ambitions on his son since he failed to achieve them himself, and even Seto Kaiba's father was emotionally, psychologically, and physically abusive, and now he's going through therapy—finally—to fix all the things that got screwed up in his head. Who knows how Mokuba will turn out, hopefully better than his brother."

Marik could tell that Amane was worried. Talking about her father always stressed her out, for some reason. He wanted to help her with that, but there was only so much he could do to help her from 6000 miles away. It would be easier for him to do so once she was with him in the desert.

"What time does your flight leave again?" he asked, changing the subject for her benefit.

"Tomorrow morning at 7:25 a.m., I'm flying out of Tokyo Narita Airport into Cairo International Airport," Amane recited. She'd carefully studied all of her flight information and knew it by heart. "The estimated time of arrival is 12:46 p.m., your time, but that's assuming that we depart on time and that we don't encounter any delays or malfunctions."

"Great! I'll be there to pick you up, and I'll be sure to get there a little bit early just in case you land earlier than the ETA. Call me when you're about to take off, okay?" Marik made a concerted effort to sound even more cheerful than he felt, wanting her to feel happy and at ease.

"I will, I promise," Amane answered with a smile. "I'm really looking forward to spending the week with you in Egypt. Please thank your sister again for letting me stay with your family while I visit."

"I will, and trust me, it's no problem at all. We're glad to have you visit us. If you're going to be at the airport on time for your flight, you'd better get some sleep."

"Alright, I will. I'll see you tomorrow, Marik." Amane could feel her cheeks grow hot, her heart fluttering within her chest.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Amane," Marik answered, grinning like an idiot. "Sleep well!"

After Amane'd hung up, she closed her suitcase and sat on it so that she could zip it closed. She gave a start as Serenity and Téa stuck their heads into her room, giggling. Amane blushed even harder, feeling embarrassed, even though she knew she didn't have anything to be ashamed of with her friends.

"We finished packing the snacks for your flight, and we packed some brownies for you to take to them as a gift," Téa said cheerfully as they entered her room. "We just thought we'd come say goodbye one last time."

Amane stood up and hugged both of her friends tightly. "I'm going to miss you guys while I'm in Egypt," she whispered, feeling grateful to them for their long-standing support.

"That's what friends are for," Serenity replied warmly.

"And we'll always be here for you, whenever you need our help," Téa added with equal sincerity. Then she leaned forward to whisper in Amane's ear, "And if I were you, I would probably say something to Marik about how you feel." Amane felt her face go red, but Tea winked at her reassuringly. "You might be surprised how things turn out."

"Again, thank you both so much for your help," Amane said. "I'll tell you all about it when I get back, and I'll be sure to have presents for you!"

"If you can get a boyfriend while you're there, then that's enough of a present for us!" Serenity teased, only half joking.

Amane's cheeks were still burning from Téa's comments, so she couldn't be blushing even more than she already was. She liked Marik _a lot_ , and if she could enter into a relationship with him while she was in Egypt, she would be thrilled. But first things first: she had to get some sleep so that she could be at the airport on time tomorrow morning. It was going to be a long travel day.


	2. Destination: Cairo

Amane stumbled through the crowded Cairo airport, grateful for the fitful hours of sleep she'd gotten on the long plane ride from Tokyo, or else this would have been much more difficult for her. As it was, she had yet to find Marik among the sea of faces she was surrounded with. She tried standing on her toes, but she still had no luck. She'd gotten a text from Marik saying that he was at the airport to pick her up, so she knew he was here.

Then she spotted him, and he spotted her in the same moment. The way his face lit up made her heart leap in her chest, and they ran to each other, pushing through the crowd until they met in a joyous embrace.

His arms wrapped tightly around her, hugging her close like he never wanted to let go, and she did the same, letting out a laugh of pure joy. "It's so good to see you again!" she shouted above the din of the mob.

"Indeed, it's been too long!" Marik answered enthusiastically, smiling brightly as the let go of each other. He carried her bag for her as they made their way out of the airport to the street. He managed to securely strap the suitcase to his motorcycle before he drove them to the home he shared with his siblings so that she could drop off her suitcase before he gave her a tour of Cairo.

Marik took great joy in sharing his home with Amane, showing her the market, the mosques, the pyramids, the sphinx, the skyscrapers, the museums. It was a windswept blur of wonders that Amane saw from the back of Marik's bike, like nothing she had ever seen before. She tried to take everything in, commit it all to memory and store it up in her mind so that she could always have these things with her. She didn't mind having to hug Marik from behind in order to keep from falling off the motorcycle. She blushed, but she wasn't ashamed that she enjoyed being this close to him.

"That's the museum where Ishizu and I work," Marik pointed out as the came to a stop in front of a huge building, clusters of tourists milling around in front of it on the wide staircase in front of the building. "We'll be going there tomorrow morning, if you're up for it."

"Of course I'm up for it!" Amane enthused, much to Marik's delight.

"You're probably hungry by now, aren't you?" he asked, looking back at her over his shoulder.

"Well, yes," she answered awkwardly, blushing in a manner the tan Egyptian found adorable.

They got dinner in the city before they went home. It was still early in the evening, but Amane was exhausted enough after the many hours of hard travel that she went to bed after doing some minor unpacking. It was a good day for both of them. Amane fell asleep with a great sense of anticipation for what tomorrow held.


	3. Riots In The Streets

When Amane woke the next morning, she was filled with excitement, only to be quickly disappointed. After taking a shower and getting ready for the day, she entered the kitchen to find Marik sipping a cup of tea with a worried expressions as he watched the news. The blinds were closed, although it was past sunrise.

"Is something wrong?" Amane asked, unnerved by Marik's reaction to whatever was on the TV. He turned to face her after a moment's hesitation, his eyes turning after his head did, reluctantly.

"Political riots have broken out in the heart of the city." No wonder he looked worried. "A lot businesses have closed until they've passed. Ishizu left for work early this morning, but the museum is on lock-down until the riots are under control. She called to let me know that she's okay, but she probably won't be home until later tonight. Odeon will be escorting her home, since he's already there to help them set up a temporary exhibition, but you and I need to stay here all day."

Amane was silent for several moments, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" she asked as she came around to lean against the counter beside him. He'd never mentioned this happening in any of their phone calls and Skype calls.

"It's happened a few times, but not in a while. They're saying that the mobs are bigger this time. More violent." Amane shivered despite the heat of the desert air. The motion was enough to get Marik's attention, who realized now how this news might be affecting her and immediately felt guilty for frightening her. He set down his cup of tea and pulled her into a sudden, tight hug, pressing his chin to the top of her head. "Don't worry too much, okay? This has happened before, and everything will turn out alright. Just wait and see."

Amane, who was feeling more frightened than she was letting on, buried her face in Marik's chest, pressing herself against him as she tried to calm herself down. She was shaking, and Marik could feel it now. He squeezed her closer to himself, worried more about her than he was about his own sister. Ishizu always came home safe, but fear was a strong and terrible thing that could do a lot of damage.

"You and I are going to stay here today, and we're going to play games and watch movies and not worry about anything, okay?" She nodded silently, but she still felt tense. "I need you to trust me that everything will be alright. Do you trust me?"

She inhaled deeply, and let out a long slow breath. "I trust you, Marik," Amane answered, sounding steadier than she felt.

Marik smiled that easy, carefree grin that came to him so easily. Amane felt something brush against the top of her head, almost like a kiss, before he released her and turned off the news.

"Now, how about some breakfast?" he suggested.

*a****

They'd put on some upbeat music while making breakfast, and Amane found herself quite impressed with his skills in the kitchen. They'd made omelets, since Marik and Amane both had an acquired taste for the Western-style of breakfast. Afterward, they'd played a few games of chess, Othello, even the ancient Egyptian board game sennet, which Amane had never learned before. Then Marik, with a sly smile, pulled out his duel monsters deck, and Amane smiled back.

"I brought my deck from home, just in case," she said, a light in her eyes. "I haven't had a good duel in a long time."

"Then how about we play a game now?" he suggested, beginning to shuffle his cards. "Without duel disks or anything, just on the table."

"Sounds good to me. I'll get my deck from my room." When she came back, she shuffled her own deck, and they set up the game. "Are you alright doing this?" she asked quietly, glancing up at him with concern. She wanted to be sensitive to his… condition, didn't want to aggravate it if she could help it. Marik didn't seem offended by the question, though; it made sense for her to ask, since it was through his Battle City duels that his alter ego had gained full control. She was the only person outside his family and his therapist that he felt comfortable discussing it with, actually.

"Yes, I'll be alright," he answered reassuringly. "I've even dueled my therapist a few times, and he thinks that the danger has passed."

"I'm glad, that's good to hear." She smiled back at him as they both drew their starting hands from their deck.

"Speaking of which, how have you been with that?" he asked tactfully, drawing another card, playing a monster in defense mode, and laying one magic card face down. She glanced down at his cards as she drew one from her deck and contemplated her hand.

"I've been doing much better the past couple of months," she answered, laying a monster face-down and ending her turn. "I haven't had a nightmare in three full weeks, which has never happened before."

"That's good to hear." They'd both mentioned therapy in brief in their long distance conversations, but their problems were both still very personal and private, and neither found them easy to talk about. He summoned another monster, this time in attack mode. "I attack your face-down card with my Witch of the Black Forest."

Amane smirked, turning over her face-down monster to reveal the Mystical Elf. "That's 900 points deducted from your life-points." Marik just smiled, and lay down another magic card.

"I still wish my dad were around more," she said quietly as she drew a card, summoned Gernia in attack mode, equipped it with the Black Pendant spell card, and destroyed his Witch.

"There's a way to fix that, you know," he responded, looking at her meaningfully as he drew from his deck.

"I can't do that," she replied immediately. Marik put his hand face-down on the table, and Amane sighed, laying her hand face-down as well. "If he wanted me back in his life, he would have done something about it by now. He's probably forgotten all about me."

"Except for the fact that he's been sending you checks for rent all of your life," Marik pointed out.

"That doesn't prove anything," she muttered, crossing her arms as she sat back in her chair, avoiding his gaze.

"Are you scared to talk to him?"

"I don't know what I'd say," she admitted quietly, fiddling with her fingers. "And… what if he doesn't _want_ to talk to me? If he wanted to talk to me, wouldn't _he_ have called _me_ by now?"

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe he's as scared to talk to you as you are scared to talk to him?" Marik suggested, making Amane look up in surprise. "Maybe he's feeling guilty for having left you on your own for so long, and he feels ashamed, wants to make amends, but he's too scared to face you and own up to it."

"N-No, I've never thought about it that way before," she admitted reluctantly, and Marik smiled understandingly.

"I may not be an expert on fathers, but I can understand what it's like to run away from your mistakes, to not have the courage to take responsibility for your mistakes." Marik was being vulnerable with her, and Amane was perceptive enough to see and appreciate that. "Would you like some more tea?"

She nodded, blinking a little as she tried to tangle through the web of feelings for her father she'd been trying to untangle for years.

*b****

 **Author Notes:** I'm so glad I finally figured out how to continue with this story, because I honestly love this couple and this story so much. I'll be updating this one more often from now on!


	4. Phobias and Fears

After they finished their duel, they decided to put on a light-hearted movie to lift the heavy mood in the dim apartment. Close to noon, they heard the mobs outside the apartment, on the street. Marik tried turning the volume on up on the TV, but it wasn't enough. Amane had started shaking beside him, and he was starting to think that what she was feeling was more than just a normal fear. Without asking for permission, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her close to himself. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, no longer able to focus on the Disney movie they were watching.

"It's okay, Amane. Nobody's going to hurt you," he whispered, trying to comfort her. She was too scared to respond, and simply clung to him with all her strength. The police sirens and shouts started to carry through the walls of the building, and Marik realized that he needed to distract her. "Did you ever get a chance to build a pillow fort with your brother when you were little?" he asked, daring to broach the subject of her long-dead sibling.

"N-No," she answered, sounding somewhat confused, as if she couldn't understand why he was bringing this up now.

"Neither did I," he said with a smile, giving her shoulder a friendly nudge. "How about we fix that now? What do you say?" Amane glanced up at him and found herself incapable of saying no to his sweet, innocent expression. They let the movie play unheeded as they took the cushions off the couch and used them to build the walls of the fort. Using spare sheets from the linen closet, the kitchen chairs, and some hair elastics, they created a tented ceiling for their fort.

Amane and Marik were cuddled up in the corner, a large blanket wrapped around both their shoulders with a tea tray in front of them both.

"I have a phobia of crowds and mobs," Amane said out of the blue when she was halfway through her scone. "It's silly, I know." She felt her cheeks burn with shame.

"It's not silly at all," Marik assured as he added sugar to his tea. "You want to know what's silly? I have a fear of claymation and stop-action movies." It was Marik's turn to blush now. Only his family and his therapist knew that.

"I have a fear of lightning."

"I have a fear of surgery."

"I have a fear of heights."

"I have a fear of… mushrooms"

Amane burst out laughing, unable to help herself. "You're not serious?"

"If there's any phobia that's silly, it's a fear of mushrooms," was all Marik said in response, his tanned skin blushing a deep shade of ruddy bronze that made Amane blush and glance away, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. He just looked much too gorgeous like that. Up until now, Marik had shown himself to be someone who didn't quite care about social conventions, which made sense, given his upbringing. She was grateful for it, though. She was glad that he wasn't ashamed to hug her as his friend when she was scared. She was glad that he didn't hesitate to put his arm around her when the sound of the rioters had started to freak her out. She was glad that he was willing to live out some of the things they'd missed in childhood with her for the sake of dealing with her fears. She lay her head on his shoulder, which made Marik glance over at her and put his arm around her once more.

"You're safe here," he assured her with a smile. "No lightning, no heights, and no mobs. I won't let anybody hurt you." His promise warmed her heart, but it made her heart ache too, because he wasn't hers. Or, maybe this was his way of showing that he, like her, wanted more. There was no way to know unless one of them said something, and neither of them seemed willing to spoil the moment. Amane took another bite of her scone and Marik sipped his tea. "I'm sorry you had to come at such a dangerous time. The newscasters were saying that it seemed like the riots were over, and I thought everything would be alright."

"It's not your fault," she assured him. "Don't apologize for something that's not your fault."

"Hopefully we'll still be able to go see the new museum exhibit when it opens in a few days." Marik smiled slyly. "I think you'll find it very interesting."

"Why, what's the subject of the exhibit?" she asked curiously.

Marik glanced down at her and just said, "Guess."

"How am I supposed to guess?" she exclaimed, enjoying the game despite her protest. "Is it on the development of written language in Babylon?"

"Nope, it's about Egypt."

"Is it about early feminism in imperial Egypt?"

"Nope."

"Is it about the excessive egotism of the pharaohs and their belief in their deified progenitors?"

That one made Marik laugh out loud, and she relished feeling and hearing it through his shoulder and chest. "But they were descended from gods, you know that!"

"Come on, tell me what's it about!" she pleaded, hooked on the idea of the exhibit that he thought she'd enjoy.

"No way, I'm not spoiling the surprise. You'll have to wait and see it when it opens." Marik's violet eyes glittered, and Amane found herself intrigued. She could so easily get lost in the kaleidoscopic depths of his crystal eyes. They were far more precious to her than the jewels they mimicked. The moments of congenial silence between them somehow managed to be comfortable instead of awkward, and Amane only looked away because she wanted to finish her scone, or so she told herself. It wasn't to hide the fact that she was blushing yet again.


	5. Acting Like Sisters

Marik was right: after the riots had quieted down that evening, Odeon and Ishizu had returned safe and sound. The mobs weren't gone, though, not for good. Even so, Ishizu and Odeon would still be going to the museum the next day to help finish setting up the new exhibit.

"There's a large gala the day after tomorrow for museum donors, political figures, well-known archaeologists, and the like," Ishizu had explained over dinner. "We can't afford to not be prepared in time."

Dinner itself had been an adventure all on its own. Marik had taught Amane how to make Greek pastitsio, which was something she'd never had before, but turned out to be delicious. After dinner, Amane insisted on helping Ishizu with the dishes, wanting to be as much of a help and as little of a burden as possible while she was here visiting with them. While they washed, dried, and put away the dishes, Marik and Odeon had begun to appreciate the brownies that Tea had sent with her. As Ishizu put away the last of the silverware, she suddenly became excited, having remembered something that apparently pleased her. She turned to face Amane with all the girlish enthusiasm of a middle-schooler.

"I almost forgot to mention—and I'm sure Marik forgot to mention it entirely—that you're invited to attend the gala as well, if you want to come. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I think you'd enjoy getting to see the new exhibit before it's swamped with tourists for the rest of the week."

A formal gala? Amane was stunned and flattered by the idea, but entirely unprepared. "I-I don't have anything to wear," she stammered with a blush. "I mean, even if I'd known ahead of time, I still wouldn't have anything appropriately formal to wear to such an event." The truth was, Amane had always foregone school dances like prom and homecoming; she'd gone once in middle school, hated it, and never gone again. As such, she didn't own anything remotely formal.

Ishizu smiled understandingly. "We'll find something for you in my closet, so don't worry about that. If you want to go, you can. Do you want to?"

Her sweetness and earnestness touched Amane's heart. "I-Yes, I would love to go," she responded, starting to get as excited about the gala as Ishizu was.

"Wonderful!" Ms. Ishtar exclaimed with delight. "Well, no better time than now to pick out a dress!" She linked up their arms and towed Amane along with her to her room. When they were gone, Odeon gave Marik a meaningful look.

"What?" Marik asked, feigning ignorance.

"You haven't told her yet, have you?" Odeon asked, one eyebrow lifted disapprovingly.

"No, I haven't. If I told her, she'd freak out. She's an anxious person, and I don't want to stress her unnecessarily," Marik answered, defending his silence stubbornly. Odeon shook his head.

"If you continue with your plan, I predict that this is going to end very badly," he muttered.

"Now you're starting to sound like Ishizu," Marik pouted. "It's like neither of you trust me at all. I come up with great plans!"

Odeon rolled his eyes. "Right, like going to Japan to defeat the pharaoh and rule the world using the three Egyptian god cards."

"Hey, that would have worked, and if it weren't such a terrible thing to do, I would find a way to do it anyways and prove you wrong." Marik crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Those sound like fighting words," Odeon smirked.

When Amane and Ishizu finally emerged from the former priestess' bedroom, they couldn't help but laugh aloud at what they saw. Odeon and Marik had, apparently, been wrestling on the floor, and Marik was currently pinned under Odeon's muscular bulk.

"Come on, Odeon, get off!" Marik was starting to blush with embarrassment now that Amane could see him lose a fight with his brother. His brother didn't seem like he was about to budge, and Ishizu clearly wasn't going to tell him off, since she merely giggled at her brothers and went into the kitchen to put the water on for tea.

"So, did you find a good dress for the gala?" Marik asked, propped his head up on his chin as he lay on the floor underneath his brother.

"Yes, we did," Amane answered, trying not to laugh as she saw Odeon's smug grin. So this was what it was like to have siblings.

"Alright, Odeon, you've had your fun. Let Marik up now," Ishizu called from the kitchen, an amused look on her face. She reentered the living room and put an arm around Amane's arm with sisterly affection. "And which dress she picked out is a surprise until the night of the gala, so don't even try to find out which one it is. It's our little secret until then."


	6. Ties Among Friends

The next two days passed in much the same manner for Marik and Amane: staying in the apartment, acting like children, watching movies, building pillow forts, making scones, cooking dinner, sharing their inner selves with each other in a way that tied their souls together inevitably. The day of the gala, the riots were dying down quite a bit. The previous day's police brutality had proved to be quite effective, though Amane hated to think about it.

That was the day that she'd informed Marik of her social anxiety. He'd thought that she seemed nervous and asked if everything was alright. She'd asked if she was allowed to be completely honest with him, and he said he wouldn't have it any other way. When she'd expressed her anxiety to him, he'd been understanding about it and promised that he wouldn't leave her side the whole evening (she was safer that way anyways, he'd thought to himself, but kept it inside his own mind so as not to alarm her). Of course, if she at any point needed some space from the party, she could tell him so and he would take her outside for fresh air. Marik understood better than anybody else how important it was to avoid triggers and was more than happy to oblige with anything that would keep her happy and well.

They made minestrone soup for dinner that night, and once all of the ingredients were in the pot left to simmer, Amane started to curl her hair for the party. Curling hair took a long time, after all, because she had so much hair. Marik had wanted her to curl her hair in the living room so that they could finish watching Pixar's Ratatouille, but she'd pointed out that without a mirror she'd certainly burn herself. That was how they ended up sitting in the bathroom together, Amane curling her hair while Marik watched, fascinated.

"How long does it actually take to curl all of your hair?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, ages and ages," Amane exaggerated with a grin. "Depending on how long your hair is and how much of the length you want curled, it could easily take over an hour." Marik gave a low whistle, impressed. "That's why I don't curl my hair that often. I _like_ the way it looks curled, but I just don't have the _time_ to curl it on a daily basis."

"I like your hair as it is," Marik commented. "Not that it doesn't look pretty when it's curled, but it looks just as pretty when it's not." Now a dark stain tinged his cheeks, and Amane was smiling at him with soft eyes, that look that she always got when he complimented her.

"Thank you," she answered, feeling like she ought to say more, like how she liked his hair too. But how to say it without making it sound strange? She wasn't sure. She was too awkward to make the compliment work in her own mind, so she didn't even attempt it, no matter how much she wanted to. Gods, did she love his hair though. She'd always wanted to touch it and always fought the impulse with all her strength.

* * *

Amane carefully examined herself in Ishizu's full-length mirror, feeling vaguely nervous. From the pearl earrings to the low side ponytail to the flattering natural make-up she wore, everything seemed to be working well with the dress she'd borrowed: a white and baby-blue quipao with embroidered pink cherry blossoms covering the smooth fabric. It was tea-length and fit her form quite well. Almost too well. It was uncanny, really. The dress certainly wouldn't fit Ishizu. When she'd asked how she'd gotten it, Ishizu had answered that the dress had been a gift from someone who was terrible at guessing another person's sizes. Amane had been suspicious, but she'd asked for no more details, not wanting to be nosy.

She wrapped the white shawl around her shoulders then reached down to adjust the strap of her high-heeled shoes. Lucky for them she and Ishizu shared the same shoe size. Amane wasn't the most comfortable in heels, but at least she'd worn them before and thus knew how to walk in them. These were a little higher than what she was used to, but at least she'd have Marik by her side in case she twisted her ankle or did anything else embarrassing or clumsy. It was a comfort to know that she'd never have to be alone among all those strangers.

A knock on the door disrupted her train of thought. Ishizu poked her head in and asked, "Are you ready?"

"I-I think so," she answered nervously as Ishizu slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.

"I think you're still missing something." She stepped forward and adjusted Amane's shawl for her so that it covered her hair. "You'll be on Marik's motorcycle after all, and the last thing we want is for you to have that lovely hair of your messed up."

"Ah, thank you," Amane murmured with a blush. "I didn't think of that."

Ishizu just grinned and stepped back to admire her handiwork. "You're still missing something, though…" She stepped close again and touched Amane's cheek tenderly before kissing her forehead. The gesture surprised a smile from the teen.

"There it is: a smile. Try not to lose it this time."

Amane grabbed the small clutch purse she'd been loaned by the elder woman and let herself be led out to the living area where Odion was fidgeting with Marik's tie, trying to straighten it out for him.

"It's fine!" Marik insisted, looking nervous himself. Amane was impressed with his appearance, though: his hair was pulled neatly back into a small bun and he was wearing a jet black suit with a white shirt that flattered his tan. His tie was long, narrow, and the perfect lavender shade that complemented his eyes. When he glanced over and saw that she had emerged, he froze, his cheeks turning a ruddy hue.

"You look beautiful." The words burst out of him before he could think, and Amane could tell, but that just ensured that he was being completely sincere with her.

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself," she reciprocated with a wide smile. "In fact, you look quite nice."

"I give up, you're just going to have to retie this thing," Odion announced, dropping the tie and throwing his hands up in defeat. As Marik looked down at his tie with a sigh, Amane approached him and put her clutch down on the table.

"Let me do it for you." She reached up and untied his tie before starting it over, looping and knotting it with practiced accuracy. She was a waitress at a somewhat nice restaurant where ties were a part of their uniform.

"There, all set," She said with a note of satisfaction, looking up at him again with a smile.

"Thank you. Are you ready to go?"

"I am if you are."

"Are you two sure that you don't want to take the car with us?" Ishizu asked as she and Odion approached the door to the apartment.

"We're sure," Marik answered with certainty, and held out his arm to Amane, who accepted him as her escort with as much dignity and grace as she could scrap together.

She just prayed that she could survive the evening without breaking down, sobbing hopelessly, blacking out, or spontaneously combusting. Things like that tended to happen when she tried to attend a party.


	7. Exhibit

"Just keep breathing and everything will be alright," Marik assured as he pat Amane's hand before guiding her into the main room of the gala.

" _Now_ will you tell me what the exhibit is about?" Amane asked hopefully while maintaining an expression of coy innocence. She even fluttered her eyelashes a little. Marik smiled as his cheeks turned coral, but he only said, "Read for yourself," and led her to the nearest plaque by a display case of reconstructed vases and other clay vessels. Her eyes grew wide as she read, and she looked up at him in shock.

"These are from Kul Elna." She could hardly believe her own words.

"They are. That's the site where all of these artifacts were found," Marik explained. "It was their discovery of the site and the remains discovered there that informed them of the Kul Elna Massacre. This exhibit is to commemorate all those who died that day." He held his breath as he waited for Amane's reaction.

Her eyes had started to water, but she quickly blinked away the unshed tears. She smiled at him gratefully.

"I'm glad people know the truth of it now," she said, much to Marik's relief. In a low voice, she added more seriously, "I don't care if Aknadin believed they were all criminals. They were still families with fathers and mothers and children. Nobody deserved to die that day."

"I know, I know," Marik assured, placing his hand over hers comfortingly. "I'm in full agreement with you. Come on, let's see the rest of it."

They strolled along the displays, and Amane found herself recognizing some specific items. It was all far too familiar to her. They entered a new room of the exhibit and saw something that surprised both of them. A well-preserved human skeleton lay under glass in the center of the room. The Egyptian's personal effects consisted of a few tarnished gold rings and a deteriorated red coat. His plaque simply named him, "A thief."

"I didn't know he was here," Marik said quickly, his voice low. "We can leave if—"

"No, it's okay." She offered him a smile. "I'll be alright." She looked down at the remains of the Thief King of Kul Elna, some part of her pleased that they didn't even have that honorary given him. This was his final resting place, on display for tourists to dismiss him entirely, for archaeologists to study his bones, for museum curators to shuffle him around from one place to the next. It actually made her feel better to see his dusty old bones lying there. It made her feel safe to see him long-dead. He wasn't capable of hurting her anymore.

After a half hour of browsing the exhibit, all of the guests were called into the main room. Marik and Amane hung to the back of the room, obviously the youngest people there and not wanting to draw attention to themselves. The museum curator was making some sort of announcement about the exhibit and the new ancient town that all of the artifacts had come from.

"And now I'd like to honor the man responsible for everything you see here tonight: Dr. Kenji Bakura and his wife Dr. Akira Bakura!"


	8. Surprise

Amane rushed out of the room as quickly and as discretely as was possible. She could feel her throat close over as her chest tightened with panic, and as she stumbled into an unlit hallway, seeking privacy, she felt a strong, familiar hand grab her own and tug her into a storage closet.

Marik flicked the light on as he closed the door, turning to face his friend and finding that she was more distressed than he'd realized. She wasn't just distressed, she looked terrified.

"I'm so sorry; I should have said something. Ishizu said that I should warn you ahead of time, but—" He broke off as he realized that she was having trouble breathing. He clasped her hands in his own and stepped closer, hoping to help her before he did any more damage. "Inhale deeply, Amane. Just breathe, you're going to be okay." He moved his hands to her shoulders, rubbing them gently as she began to breathe normally again. He pulled her into a tight hug as a pit of regret hardened within him.

"I don't understand why my father's here," Amane whispered numbly. She had somewhat turned her brain off after the emotional shock and wasn't processing any of the information she normally would have no trouble understanding.

"Your father's exhibit on the remains at the Kul Elna site is the highlight of tonight's gala. It's a project that Odion, Ishizu, and I have been helping with for the past two months. I may only work as a docent in the museum and I may not have a PhD, but I know the ancient Egyptian languages better than anyone in that room, aside from my siblings. They were having trouble with the specific dialect on the walls so we were called in to help with the cataloging and such. I got to work closely with your father on some of the translations, and I got to know him a little bit. Between what you told me about your long-lost father and what he told me about his long-lost daughter, it was pretty easy to figure out that you two were family. Besides the same last name."

He inhaled deeply as he pulled back to look Amane in the eye, wanting to be honest and straight-forward with her.

"I want you to talk to your father because I think it will be good for both of you. I promise, I didn't know that he'd remarried, but it doesn't change the fact that he still cares about you. He still wants to do right by you, he just doesn't know how."

Marik felt vulnerable and concerned as Amane's expression remained predominantly constant: one of confusion and anxiety.

"I tried to talk you into reaching out to him on your own, but you wouldn't, so I thought that maybe if you met him here, at the museum, it'd be easier for you. My original plan was just to take you to the museum one day and introduce you to each other as a surprise, but Ishizu said that was a bad idea."

He felt rather sheepish about the whole thing now. He wished that he'd listened to _all_ of his sister's advice.

"This wasn't quite what she'd recommended either, though. She told me that—if I was to do anything at all—I was to tell you that your father was running the new exhibit at the museum and ask you if you wanted to come see him or not. I knew you'd say no, and I just… I didn't want you to miss out on your second chance to know your dad. Please say something, Amane, you're starting to scare me," he pleaded suddenly, disturbed by her silence and relative paralysis through all of this.

Amane was still trying to process everything, but what she did know for sure was that the father who'd abandoned her when she was ten was downstairs with the step-mother nobody had told her about. A surge of anger flooded her system, only to be quickly replaced with fear: what if her step-mother didn't like her? The fear faded into a desire to gratify both of them, especially her father; a desire to make him proud emboldened her, only for her to lose her resolve and fear that she wouldn't be able to. Feeling overwhelmed, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Marik, hugging him tightly as she struggled to find the words she needed. Marik returned the embrace, growing even more concerned as he waited for her to speak.

"Thank you," she murmured at last, choking back tears as she buried her face in his shoulder. "I know you meant well in all of this, but I just… I don't know what to do. I don't _know_ what I want to do," she whined rather pitifully as she started pacing for a few moments, then gave up and leaned against Marik with her forehead to his chest and her arms limp at her sides. "I hate wearing high heels," she grumbled under her breath. Marik put his arms around her again and started rubbing her back reassuringly.

"Well, we have a few options," Marik said slowly, hoping that what he was about to say would be helpful. "We could just go home now, put on a movie, and forget this ever happened. We could go downstairs and stay for the rest of the evening, but avoid your father all night. Or, I could go and introduce you to him."

Having a definite list of options helped Amane feel slightly more in control of the situation, just a little less anxious, though she was equally indecisive. Nothing appealed to her.

"Or," Marik said slowly, "I could give you a better surprise."

She wrinkled her nose. "What kind of a surprise?"

"Have you ever gone stargazing in the desert?"

Amane lifted her head, looking intrigued. "No, never. I've only ever lived in cities my whole life."

Marik grinned. "You've never seen the stars until you've seen them in the desert."

"That _does_ sound like a good surprise," Amane conceded as a smile of relief crept onto her face and she lifted her head to look at him.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Marik gently released her and tugged his hair out of his bun. As he did so, Amane put one hand on Marik's shoulder to steady herself and reached down to slip off her heels. She held them by their straps in one hand with her clutch. Smiling, Marik took her by the hand and led her out of the closet. They dashed through the hallway together and out of the museum, scampering down the stairs outside and hopping on Marik's bike before he drove them out of the city and into the desert.


	9. Stars and Snakes

"I wish you could stay here with me forever," Marik whispered as they stared up at the stars together. Apparently, he kept a large picnic blanket in a container on his bike at all times, so he'd spread it out for them to sit on so that they didn't ruin their formal clothes.

Amane glanced over at him, slightly surprised and greatly pleased. "I would like that very much," she murmured back, her heart swelling in her chest in a way that it never had before.

Marik glanced over at her in return, eyes glowing as he smiled. His face was so open, so candid, everything about him was so honest and wholehearted. She reached out to tentatively cup his cheek with her hand, stroking his bronze skin with her soft fingers. Perhaps it was a strange thing to say, but Marik was a damn gorgeous man, and she'd always loved that about him, from his blond hair to his lavender eyes to his long eyelashes to his tan complexion.

He reached out with one hand and coiled his long fingers through her hair, marveling at its ephemeral shine in the moonlight. If he didn't tell her now, he might not get a more perfect opportunity.

"I love you, Amane," he whispered, leaning close so that his forehead pressed against hers, that sweet face so close it almost gave her a sugar rush.

"I love you too, Marik," she answered with a blush. Carefully, he leaned in to press his lips against hers, and she sighed into the kiss, closing her eyes even though there was nothing in the whole world that she wanted in that instant more than she wanted to just stare at the beautiful man that was now hers. With that kiss, she claimed him as her own.

He kissed her tenderly, his fingertips tracing along her jawline, the edges of his teeth scraping against her lips in a cautious way that excited and aroused her. She wanted MORE. His free arm slid around her waist, pulling her body closer to his so that she could feel his warmth pressed against her through their clothes.

They kissed for a long time, enjoying the activity for its own sake, for the intimacy it gave them, for the warmth they shared because of it, for the way it let them get to know each other better. They finally took a long break to catch their breath, and Marik cradled Amane's head against his chest. She smiled and closed her eyes as she listened to the pounding of his heart.

"I don't want you to go back home, Amane, and I know that's dreadfully selfish of me, but it's true. I want you to live here with me, in Egypt. I want to marry you someday, have a family with you, grow old with you, love you for the rest of my life. I must sound crazy," he muttered that last part to himself, doubting whether he should have spoken any of those words at all.

"You're not crazy," Amane said immediately, not wanting him to doubt himself for a split second. "You're honest, and I love that about you. And to be honest, I want all of those things too. I want to stay here with you and get married and have kids, and all the rest of it. I want all of that, and I want it with _you_."

It took Marik a few moments to process this, and as soon as it had sunk into his mind, he was kissing Amane again, deeper this time. He'd missed her in the year that she'd been in Japan, and he'd been hungry. As his tongue made contact with hers and explored her mouth tenderly, his arm reached around and tucked her hips in against his own, his hand resting on her hip, his fingers stroking her side as he savored every bit of contact he had with her.

Marik was as passionate as Amane had anticipated he would be. He blazed like the desert he called home, his touch as tender as the moonlight and his love as bright as the sun. She loved him so much, loved _it_ so much, she didn't even want to tell him to stop.

All good things come to an end, though. Marik didn't want to rush things too much, didn't want to ruin the wonderful thing that was growing between them simply because he lacked self-control. He managed to pull himself back before he went too far, before he crossed any lines.

They held each other close beneath a blanket of diamonds, just enjoying each other's presence. These moments belonged to them and them alone, and they wanted to cherish them. The universe, however, was determined to spoil it for them.

Marik saw the snake first.

"Hold still, be quiet."

"Wha—?"

"Sh!"

Amane froze as Marik crawled away from her, moving slowly and carefully towards a pair of glittering eyes off in the sand. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized what he was doing. She closed her eyes and shrieked when Marik snatched the snake out of the sand, terrified that he'd be bitten and die in her arms before they got a chance to live out their lives together. She clapped her hands over her eyes, shaking with fear.

"Amane, open your eyes."

She moved her hands and opened them as he asked. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief to see him holding the snake by the head and the tail. He was fine.

"You scared me!"

"I had to do _something_ ," he said in explanation, like it was obvious.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to snakes around."

Marik sighed and said simply, "You might want to close your eyes again."

She did so, listening to the sound of his shoes in the sand and a small snap. She next heard a thud in the sand before he started walking back to her.

"You can open your eyes again," he said gently as he put an arm around her shoulders. She threw her arms around him, shaken up by the incident.

"It's a good thing neither of us have an irrational fear of snakes," she said with a shaky laugh.

"The funny thing about Egypt: it's a beautiful place, but there are a thousand different ways it could kill you." His voice was sad, but thoughtful. He'd clearly considered this before. "I would love for you to live here with me so that you could love this land as much as I do, but it's not safe. Ishizu can't leave home without Odion because it's just too dangerous otherwise." He took Amane's hand in his own and gave it a squeeze. "The riots are constant and you'd be scared all the time. You deserve to live in a place where you feel safe."

They sat together in prolonged silence for a little while longer.

"Can we figure these things out tomorrow?" she asked softly, snuggling in against him. "I just want to be here with you and the stars. I don't want to be afraid."

* * *

 **Author Notes:** Only one chapter left! I hope you've enjoyed this story!


	10. Reunion

"You're sure this is what you want to do?" Marik asked, glancing at Amane as he gave her hand a squeeze.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she answered with a small smile. She was nervous, but she knew that this was the right thing to do.

Marik nodded and led her deeper into the museum, to an area that was restricted to staff and personnel. He came to the door of one of the professors' offices and knocked.

"Come in!" a cheerful voice called.

Marik opened the door and stepped inside, pulling Amane along, even as she seemed to shrink into herself and hide behind him.

"Marik! It's good to see you!" Dr. Bakura said with a smile upon turning around to see the teenager. Then he noticed Amane behind him, and his expression changed. "Who's your friend?"

"Dr. Bakura," Marik said as he sucked in a deep breath and puffed out his chest a little. "I'd like you to meet your daughter."

He traded Amane's left hand from his right to his left and placed his hand on the center of her back as he guided her forward a few steps. It was a good thing, too, because Amane could hardly breathe at the moment. She grasped Marik's hand tightly to keep herself from shaking as she looked her father in the eye for the first time in years. She was afraid. She was terrified. She was visibly pale, and her hand clenched Marik's so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Hi, Dad." Her voice was faint, but the moment she spoke, she could see tears start to gather in her father's eyes.

"I'll leave you two alone to talk," Marik said, trying to diffuse the tension in the room by acting normally. He dropped his hand from Amane's back and turned towards her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. As he did so, he whispered, "I'm proud of you." He gave her hand one last squeeze and she reluctantly let him go, leaving her alone with her father.

Marik closed the door behind him as he left, then began to wander the maze of offices and restoration rooms where the archaeologists did their work. They were all as busy as bees in a hive, but he'd shown up early, since the museum wasn't yet open to the public. He'd told Amane to text him when they were done so that he could meet up with them again, which meant that he had little to do while he waited.

A couple of hours later, Marik's phone finally buzzed with a message. He set down the book he'd been reading and checked his phone, sighing with relief. He put the book back on the shelf and waved goodbye to the gift-shop clerk, then made his way back to Dr. Bakura's office.

When he found them, they were both quite happy, and Marik would be willing to bet that they'd both cried at some point during their long talk. Amane hugged him as soon as he was close enough.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear. Amane was ineffably glad that Marik had talked her into confronting her father.

As she would explain to him later, it had all been a misunderstanding. Between Mr. Bakura's phone being destroyed, Amane needing to move around because of the Spirit of the Millennium Ring, and her own number getting changed, they'd become incapable of reaching each other. Mr. Bakura's efforts to track down his daughter had been fruitless, and he'd assumed the worst, even as he maintained his uncertainty.

"I can't give you your mother back," he'd said to her as he removed his glasses to wipe away the tears in his eyes. "And I can't give you your brother back. But would you be willing to try and be a family again?"

That night, the four of them—Amane, Marik, her father, and his wife—would be having dinner together so that they could get well acquainted.

As Amane released Marik, smiling up at him, Dr. Bakura lay a hand on Marik's shoulder.

"You did good, son. You did good." He grinned somewhat mischievously as he put his other arm around Amane's shoulders. "I am curious, though: how long did you plan on waiting before telling me that you were dating my daughter?"

Marik's cheeks flushed, and he started to stammer out an answer, but Amane saved him.

"Come on, Dad, go easy on him." She blushed as she glanced at Marik. "He's my best friend." _And my true love._

* * *

 **Author Notes:** I hope you all enjoyed this final chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!


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